Top 5 things to do this weekend: Aug. 12 – 14

     

    Friday, Aug. 12: Bat Boy The Musical

    Hope Falls, West Virginia, is atwitter with news that one of the Taylor children has been attacked by something neither fully animal nor human. Fortunately the Taylors have captured the creature, which is now in the custody of the town veterinarian. The doctor’s wife takes pity on the half-bat, half-human thing. She names him and begins teaching him about Christian morals and the importance of education. But the people are skeeved out, and become more agitated when their cattle start dying in strange ways. The Laurence O’Keefe, Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming show Bat Boy: The Musical, draws inspiration from a Weekly World News tabloid story and deals with our fears of the other, as well as our twin addictions of hypocrisy and violence. Stray Dog Theatre closes its current season with the off-kilter musical. Performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (August 4 to 20) and 8 p.m. Wednesday (August 10 to 17) at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Ave. Tickets are $20 to $25.

    Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13: Louis Armstrong Festival of St. Louis

    The Louis Armstrong Festival of St. Louis will be held at the Ozark Theatre on August 12 & 13 from 8PM-11PM each night. Louis Armstrong is jazz’s first superstar and one of the most influential musical and cultural icons of the 20th Century. The festival will feature St. Louis’ finest musicians of our times, recreating the style and feel of Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars. Appearing will be Randy Holmes-Trumpet, Brett Stamps-Trombone, Scott Alberici-Clarinet, Mary Ann Schulte-Piano, Kevin Gianino-Drums, Bob Lowe-Bass & some surprise guests. Tickets are $15 in advance & can be ordered on-line at http://YesLouis.com. Tickets are $20 the door.

    Saturday, Aug. 13: Foundry Music Showcase

    Enjoy performances from popular St. Louis area bands and refreshing beverages from the cash bar throughout the evening on Saturday, August 13 from 7:00pm – 10:30pm. The Foundry Music Showcase will feature The Mixed Nuts of St. Louis, The Weekend Routine, and Hobo Empire. Support these local musicians and enjoy the latest art exhibitions at the Foundry Art Centre. Tickets are $12 or only $10 for FAC Members. Visit with the FAC Studio Artists on the mezzanine level, beginning at 6 pm for Artist Hour. Visit www.foundryartcentre.org or call 636-255-0270 to purchase tickets.

    Saturday, Aug. 13: The Ordinary Must Not Be Dull

    Pop artist Claes Oldenburg set himself counter to the staid abstract expressionists who ruled the modern art world in the ’50s with his sense of humor and his flair for the dramatic. His oversized, brightly-colored sculptures of familiar objects such as lipstick and three-way plugs were ridiculed in the early days, but are now recognized as important works by a major artist. The Pulitzer Arts Foundation’s, 3716 Washington Blvd., new exhibit, The Ordinary Must Not Be Dull: Claes Oldenburg’s Soft Sculptures, showcases a selection of some of the artist’s most playful works. Soft Switches (1964) is a ductile pair of light switches in glistening red, gravity tugging them into bonk-eyed uselessness, but Oldenburg’s Green Beans(1964) are a Jolly Green Giant-sized pile of viridian pods with plump, glistening beans peeking out of either end. Admission is free, and the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday.

    Sunday, Aug. 14: Aritsts First Rockin’ the Ritz

    Formerly known as the Turner Center for the Arts, Artists First is a local non-profit that provides arts outreach for people with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and mental illness. The goal is to give its clients a voice through creative self-expression. You can see (and buy, hint hint) their work today at the Artists First Rockin’ the Ritz benefit. If the weather cooperates, the paintings and drawings will be displayed between 3 and 8 p.m. in Ritz Park, 3147 South Grand Ave., where local musicians DinoFight!, Accelerando and DJ Meek 9 perform with several other acts. In case of rain, the art will hang in Mangia Italiano. The restaurant donates 25 percent of the day’s proceeds to Artists First regardless of the weather. And don’t miss Michael Weidle’s stand-up act; Weidle is a double threat, working in both visual art (he has work in the show) and comedy. Admission to Rockin’ the Ritz is free.

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